Back when the Somerset all-rounder Ian "Beefy" Botham walloped the Aussies single-handed (with a bit of help from a hairy Bob Willis) in this bombastic but gripping look (from the same director, James Erskine, who made the similarly stirring documentary about the 1990 World Cup One Night in Turin, Gazza's tears etc) at the giddy 1981 Ashes.

The Good

The trial of the brash cricket lover and former financier Allen Stanford, which was scheduled to begin this month, has been delayed indefinitely by a Texas judge in the wake of fresh and disturbing questions about the deterioration of Stanford's mental and physical health in the 18 months he has already spent behind bars.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg came under ferocious attack from Labour last night for attempting to "fix" Parliament in the favour of the coalition parties.

Protean is a grandiose word for reviewers to avoid; "variable, versatile, taking various forms", says the Concise Oxford. But consider David Lloyd George: nearly beaten to death for denouncing the South African adventure and Man Who Won the War; anti-imperialist and snapper-up of territorial bargains in 1919; Home Ruler and sender-in of the Black-and-Tans; land nationaliser and Surrey proprietor; Welsh Nonconformist and round-the-wicket adulterer; admirer of Keynes, admirer of Hitler; scorner of the Lords and Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor. "Protean" hardly says it.

The England fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom has announced his retirement from international cricket. The 32-year-old, who was a member of England's victorious World Twenty20-winning squad earlier this year, made his decision after helping Nottinghamshire lift the County Championship title last week.

England pace bowler Ryan Sidebottom has announced his retirement from international cricket.

Lord Taylor of Warwick, a prominent Tory peer, is to be prosecuted over his expenses, the Crown Prosecution Service announced yesterday.

What has happened to Amir Khan's American dream? Since leaving British promoter Frank Warren in January he has fought only once, an easy win over non-puncher Paulie Malignaggi in New York – a fight given to ITV for nothing – and will not be in the ring again until December. Bolton's WBA light-welterweight champion, who has also been the subject of a sleazy tabloid exposé over his sex life, was due to meet veteran Cuban warhorse Joel Casamayor in Manchester or London on 31 July but the bout has been pulled by his US promoters, Golden Boy, because of lack of interest by pay-per-view TV. Sky were unhappy with the opponent and did not think it would sell in the aftermath of the World Cup. Their next available date is not until December. Warren believes Khan has made "the biggest mistake of his career" in joining Golden Boy and asks: "Why doesn't he come back? I'd love to promote him again. I bear no grudge. It doesn't seem Golden Boy are doing him any favours by keeping him on the sidelines for so long. It's crazy. It is also dangerous when you are a young, developing fighter to be so inactive. I know he got less for fighting Malignaggi than I paid him for his last fight and some others with me. The move just doesn't make sense." Meanwhile, Britain's other WBA world champion, heavyweight David Haye, looks like fighting Audley Harrison on 13 November while Vitali Klitschko is set to meet the giant Haye beat, Nicolay Valuev. As we've said before, funny old game.

Leonard Steinberg's eventful life took him from running an illegal backstreet bookies in Belfast to a seat in the Lords and high position in the Conservative party. Along the way he made a fortune, and was shot by the IRA. He became one of the grandees of the British bookmaking industry, building the Stanley Leisure Group into a concern with more than 600 betting shops and almost 50 casinos. He once said, probably with affected modesty, that he was not a great businessman but was "a great contacts man". None the less, his business acumen propelled him into the Rich List with a personal fortune of up to £100m.

With his arms spread out wide and a look of triumph on his face, Andrew Flintoff's celebration during the second Test at Lords could well be the image that defines this Ashes series.